The power workers have been one of the sections of trade unionists most savagely attacked by the Tories and their press. They therefore have more to lose than most if the Tory Bill is passed. We therefore posed • Four questions to Wally Preston,an AEF power workers shop steward in Manchester,in order to find out how power workers think the Tory Bill should be fought. In Manchester a Trade Union Action Committee has already been set up. —What is your attitude to the TUC's methods of opposing the Bill?
They are not effective. As a trade unionist, I wouldn't look to the TUC for a lead The TUC has cooperated with all governments. I should, think, unfortunately, that there won't be a very big show of opposition on January 12th; I should be surprised if there are more than a million people out, particularly since what happened on December 8th. They'll be out in Liverpool; London and Scotland weren't able to muster anything like what they got in Liverpool on December 8th. In fact the North West is an area of great militancy. I think the Communist Party has withdrawn, and they're not backing January 12th. The major trade unions are not backing January 12th either; there's a certain advantage for them in the Bill, I don't think they're really seriously against it; the Bill means for the trade union bureaucrats that everything is official, it does away with unofficial movements, and that suits them. When a strike was on recently, one of the union organisers said "How much is it going to cost us?"; that's all he wanted to know; and that's typical of their attitude. They've got their dues, and all they care about is the quiet life.
Red Which of the unions have issued leaflets against the Bill?-apart from DATA and the AEF? The trade unions' opposition is , only nominal, I think. What about ScanIon? Has he been touring the country, calling for opposition to the Bill?
—What about the Labour Party's attitude on the Bill?
The Labour Party did the same as the Tories. It's the same meat and different gravy. In Place of Strife was the same sort of thing. There are no radicals in the Labour movement; they are all lawyers and careerists. Look at Frank Allaun, for example; he wrote against Castle's Bill in Tribune, but he didn't even vote against it, he only abstained; he's done sweet Fanny Adams for us. The Labour Party generally leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It hasn't been able to defuse the militancv this time, thanks to its industrial record; nobody will ever be conned again. The Labour Party is past the point of no return; it's identified with everything. -You said you think the Communist Party is not pushing so hard for strike action as it did for December 8th. Why do you think this is?
Subscribe Now!
If you like this broadsheet we can let you into a secret: The Red Mole is a 12-page fortnightly dedicated to the struggle against capitalism, imperialism and bureaucracy. One easy way of staying in touch with revolutionary struggles throughout the world is to fill in the form below and put it in the post immediately.
Please send me THE RED MOLE for the next 6/12 months. I enclose P.O./cheque /cash for £1/£2.
Name.
Address THE RED MOLE, 182 Pentonville Road, London N1. 01-837 6954, 01-278 2616. DESIGN: Peter Till They haven't done anything like what they could have done. Possibly it's because thev're not as well organised industrially as they were, and they may be afraid of showing up their weakness. -Can you tell us about the Council of Action you are setting up?
Well, it's been set up. Apart from opposing the Bill, we intend to defend the people who will be penalised because of the Bill, if it's passed, to raise money for the people who will be fined for going on strike, to agitate against the Bill even after it has become law, to.organise resistance against it. We intend to go round to factories and shop stewards and agitate against the Bill, ask them to resist it. Provided we have the organisation set up, even if the Bill is passed we still aim to fight it. We have broad representation on the Council of Action, with clerical, manual and immigrant organisations, which is good; and we have representatives from all the confederated unions, the Boilermakers, the AEF, the Heating and Domestic union, and DATA, the T&G, the Clerical and Administrative, NALGO. We have advocated a stoppage on January 12th, of course. EDITORIAL BOARD: Tariq Ali, Robin Blackburn, Chenhamo Chimutengwende, Peter Gowan, Teresa Hayter, Dave Kendall, Marie-Therese Ligougne, Branka Magas, Neil Middleton, John Weal.
DISTRIBUTION: Tom Mole Published by Relgocrest for The Red Mole, 182 Pentonville Road, London N.I. 01-837 6954, 01-278 2616.
Printed by The Prinkipo Press Ltd. (T.U.) 182 Pentonville Road, London N.1. 01-837 9987.
----- pull-quotes -----
WE RECOGNISE OUR OLD FRIEND, OUR OLD MOLE, WHO KNOWS SO WELL HOW TO WORK UNDERGROUND SUDDENLY TO APPEAR: THE REVOLUTION.-MARX